Walter Busill Tully, Jr

The database page for Walter Busill Tully, Jr

16 Jun 2004 In remembrance From a friend, Jennifer Duffy rellena@kc.rr.com

16 May 2005 Captain Tully was my Commanding Officer in November, 1965. We were in the Ia Drang Valley. The best CO ever. Ed Soltis (PFC) Chicago, Il esoltis@uchicago.edu

A Note from The Virtual Wall The 4th Battalion, 3rd Infantry, encampment was struck by incoming enemy mortar fire on 18 March 1969. Major Tully was killed outright, and E Company's SP4 Richard H. Mehegan, of Tacoma, Washington, was wounded. SP4 Mehegan died of his wounds on 18 March 1969. As noted above, then-Captain "Buse" Tully commanded Bravo Company, 1st Battalion, 5th Cavalry, in November 1965. While the book and movie "We Were Soldiers Once ... and Young" has made the battle at Landing Zone X-Ray famous, the movie ends with the relief of 1st Battalion, 7th Cavalry, on 16 Nov 1965. The book doesn't - it continues with a description of the even more horrific fight at LZ Albany. Harold Moore's 1st Bn, 7th Cav, was relieved by two units - 2nd Bn, 5th Cav, and 2nd Bn, 7th Cav (with Alpha 1/5 attached). On 17 Nov 1965 these two units vacated LZ X-Ray on foot, with 2/5 in the lead headed toward Landing Zone Columbus. 2/7 Cav would follow, then turn off toward LZ Albany. Things went as expected for 2/5, but 2/7 by chance walked into an ambush as it was strung out along the trail leading into LZ Albany - and was massacred. 2/7 Cav lost 122 men in the fighting at LZ Albany, and was saved from even worse by the arrival of reinforcements who marched into the battle from LZ Columbus - led by Captain Tully's Bravo 1/5. 1/5 Cav lost 20 men in the fighting - 15 from Alpha 1/5, which had been caught in the ambush, and 5 from Bravo 1/5: SGT Mack C. Cox, Tampa, FL SGT Jerrold J. Schliesman, Rio, WI SP4 Dale F. Hudson, Poplar Bluff, MO PFC Jimmy F. Boren, Cadiz, KY PFC Ralph H. Ernst, St Louis, MO These men are remembered on the Landing Zone X-Ray site and The Virtual Wall's Ia Drang Memorial. Major Walter Busill Tully, a 1959 graduate of the United States Military Academy, is buried in the West Point Cemetery.

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With all respect
Jim Schueckler, former CW2, US Army
Ken Davis, Commander, United States Navy (Ret)
Last updated 08/10/2009